An e-mail message from a concerned reader in the aftermath of an apparent elk slaughter on 2 ranches west of Craig gives an expanded perspective to a problem that may run deeper than just a season of exceptional snow.

“Unfortunately, this goes on a lot more than people think,” the man wrote, citing conversations with ranchers from another state with whom he has relationship.

This matter of game “management” behind the locked gates always has been a matter of speculation, and concern. In the Craig case, ranchers allegedly took matters into their own hands when elk invaded haystacks earmarked for cattle, killing 34 animals. Felony charges have been filed and the proceedings are likely to divide the community along the all-too-familiar lines of wildlife vs. livestock.

Such high-profile cases often serve as a window to what may be almost routine actions that never are revealed because officials either can’t, or won’t, know the details.

These matters become further tangled in the nuance of game damage claims and attendant issues related to covering a large territory during times of difficult weather and stress.

One suspects we’ll always be left to wonder just what goes on behind those ranch gates–whether it relates to hunting season or deer and elk devouring crops or cattle feed.